Process for the production of food product bricks



C. W. VOGT June 16, 1931.

PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF FOOD PRODUCT BRICKS Original Filed Oct.25, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l mm A T Wm &

INVENTOR Flare/10a W fqyl" BY Q WM M ATTORNEYS June 16, 1931. c. w. VOGTPROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF FOOD PRODUCT BRTCKS Original Figled Oct.25, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet yogi BY Q M M s R Y m% M N R E 0 v m A W l UPatented June 16, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- CL-ABENCE w. VOGT,OI LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOB TO VOGT IIINS'I'AN'I.

FREEZERS INCORPORATED, 01' LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, A CORPORATION 01' DELL-WARE- PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION Q! FOOD PRODUCT BRICKS Originalapplication iiled October 25, 1929, Serial No. 402,389. Divided andtliil application iiled January The present invention involves a processfor the continuous production of ice cream or other analogous foodproducts in brick or block form and this application is a division of myprior co-pending application Serial No. 402,339, filed Oct. 25, 1929, inwhich application there is claimed the apparatus hereinafter describedfor the carrying out of my improved process.

Although the present invention is particularly applicable for use inmaking ice cream bricks, it is likewise useful in the manufacture ofbricks, blocks or other solid bodies of margarin, lard or other foodroducts made from vegetable or animal oi s or fruit juices, plasticcream and the l1ke, which are liquid at body temperature, namely about98 'F.

In the manufacture of ice cream it is customary to first partiallyfreeze the mix to a plastic condition and thereafter place the partiallfrozen ice cream in the hardemng room w ere it remains at such a lowtemperature that the freezing rogresses to the desired point. If it isesired to make ice cream bricks or bodies of definite size and formthepartially frozen ice cream is }packed in molds which are placed inthe ardening room. Considerable time is required in the filling of themolds and a longer time is required for hardening.

In my prior Patent No. 1,742,171, dated Dec. 31, 1929, I have disclosedand broadly claimed a process in which the partially frozen ice creamwith the air whipped therein is continuously delivered to a conveyor inthe hardening room. The ice cream is continuousl advanced through thehardening room w ile subjected to very low temperature so that as it isdelivered from the hardening room or chamber the freezing action hasbeen completed to the desired extent and the ice cream is sufiicientlyhard for shipment or direct consumption. My present invention is animprovement on the process disclosed in said patent, although as abovepointed out, it is not limited to the treatment of ice cream. 7

As one important feature, the edible material is caused to assume adefinite form in Serial N0. 507,629.

cross-section as it enters the hardening room so that it is frozen orsolidified as a continuous bar of the desired cross-sectional area.

As a further important feature the material is delivered in a liquid orsemi-liquid condition and is refrigerated as it is being advanced andconfined to the pre-determined cross-sectional area so that it emergesgs the solidified or relatively hard and stiff As a further importantfeature the material is delivered to a wrapper which serves to encloseit and to prevent the material from contacting with or freezing to theconveyor which advances and refrigerates the material.

As a further feature, vegetable oils which have been previously treatedwith a nonoxidizing gas may be packaged without contact with the air. 1

As a further important feature the material may be delivered to thewrapper under pressure which serves to cause the wrapper to conformclosely to the refrigerated or heat removing surfaces and therebymaintain most intimate relationship therewith as well as to insurecomplete filling out of the wrapper to the desired shape. This isespecially effective and desirous with a semi-frozen or somewhat plasticmaterial.

As a further important feature the rate at which the solidified bar isadvanced is automaticall controlled in accordance with the rate ofelivery from the source of supply of the material to be solidified.

As a further important feature the enwrapping, advancin and solidifyingoperations are performe continuously and progressively and the wrappertogether with the enwrapped material is subdivided into successivesections.

The ipvention involves various other important features which will beointed out hereinafter or will be apparent cm a con-. sideration of thespecific embodiment of the process hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings I have i1- lustrated onl one embodiment ofan apparatus whic may be employed for ca ing out my improved process,but it will apparent that the process is not limited to the use of suchan apparatus and that various changes ma be made in the details ofconstruction an arrangement of the parts of the apparatus as well as inthe specific way in which the process is preferably carried out.

In these drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the apparatus;

parts, other parts being shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on the1 line 3-3 of Fig. 1, buton a larger scale; an

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the freezing conveyor.

In the' specific form illustrated the ice cream is delivered from anysuitable source through a conduit 10. For instance, it may be deliveredfrom' apparatus of the type disclosed and broadly claimed in my priorPatents 1,783,864, 1,783,865, 1,783,866 and 1,783,867, granted Dec. 2,1930. The ice cream has previously been partially frozen and had airwhipped into it to give the desired overrun. The supply conduit 10 maybe connected directly to a continuously delivering freezer or it may beconnected to a hopper in which batches are delivered from one or morebatch freezers of the usual type.

The supply conduit 10 is provided with a delivery conduit including twotelescoping sections 11 and 12depending therefrom and terminating withina receptacle 13. The lower end of the lower section 12 is provided witha head or member 14 beneath which the ice cream is delivered under thepressure at which it was produced. The head maintains at least some ofthe pressure and forces the material to completely fill the wrapper. Thetwo sections are encircled by a coil spring 15 which may tend to liftthe lower section against gravity and in opposition to the friction ordrag of the material passing through the lower section 12.

The details of this part of the apparatus form the subject matter of ase arate application Serial No. 402,362, filed ct. 25, 1929.

The lower part of the receptacle 13 is of v a width substantially equalto the width of the desired ice cream brick and the head 14' Onevertical wall of the.

shape and delivered 8 transversely through the lower portion of thereceptacle to form a lining for the bottom and for two opposite sides.If desired the paper may be creased or scored before being wound on theroll 17 so as to facilitate bending of the strip to channel form. I haveshown the roll 17 comparatively close to the guides, but it is evidentthat the roll should be far enough away to permit the proper bending ofthe Fig. 2 is a top plan view of certain of the cream is to be hardened.This outlet delivers directly into a hardening chamber 19 which is keptat a very low temperature by means of refrigerating coils 20 or othersuitable cooling means. The temperature inthe hardening chamber shouldbe such in respect to the length of the chamber and the rate of travelof the material therethrough that the ice cream will be hardened atleast to such an extent that it will hold definite form and may bereadily handled as bricks or blocks after it emerges therefrom.

The means for transmitting the coolin action directly to the bar of icecream an for simultaneously advancing the bar, constitutes an importantfeature of the invention.

In the form illustrated there are employed a pair of endless conveyors21 and 22 mounted on suitable pulleys to provide parallel runs of theconveyors spaced apart to the height of the ice cream bar. As shown theupper run of the conveyor 21 forms a support for the bar while the lowerrun of the upper conveyor 22 engages with the upper surface of the bar.Between the inlet to the hardening chamber and the 'upper conveyor thereis provided a paper gu1de or folding parts 23 and- 24A for turning thefree edges of the paper over onto the top of the me cream bar inoverlappindg relationship so that neither conveyor engages with thematerial. The materlal is thus encased within a jacket on envelope whichadvances with the material. The conveyors 21 and 22 may be of anysuitable material, although preferably they are of rectly metal belts sothat they have a comparatively high heat transferring effect and tendtocool the upper and lower surfaces of the bar. It will be evident thatany heat which they extract from the bar will be directly radiated tothe very cold air of the chamber and each conveyor, after leaving theice cream bar, is recooled before re-engaging with the bar.

The bar is of very much greater height than width so that the surfaceswhich are exposed to contact with the conveyors 21 and 22 arecomparatively narrow. The main hardenin effect is effected by theextraction of heat from the two vertical sides of the bar as the latteradvances.

The conveyors which engage with the sides of the bar are preferably of aspecial construction which may be as shown in detail in Fig.. 4. Alurality of receptacles 26' each carry a re rigeratingmedium of highcapacity, such for instance as a gas mixture of partially congealedwater and calcium chloride or other material having the effect oflowering the freezing point. The receptacles are spaced to ashortdistance apart so that air may freely circulate therebetween while theoperating surfaces are provided with laterally extending flanges 2(which abut to form a substantially continuous surface for directengagement with the side surfaces of the ice cream bar. The severalreceptacles are connected together by "links or are separately mountedon a chain or are otherwise connected so that they forman endlessseries. Merely as an example each receptacle is shown as provided w1th aseries of lugs 28 serving as bearings for 'pintle pins 29 connectedtogether by'a series of links 30. These lugs 28 thus serve as transverseelements of a chain whereby the chain may be supported on and operatedby a pair of sprocket wheels 4 The flanges 27 of each receptacle arefree from those of the adjacent receptacles so that the series mayfreely pass around the sprocket wheels as indicated in Fig. 2. Thesereceptacles which are at very low temperature serve to extract,sufiiclent heat from the-icecream through its movement in contact withthe receptacles to effect the desired hardening of the material. Duringthe return run of the receptacles and while they are out of contact withthe material they are recooled by the intensely cold air in the chamber,this action, of course, also taking place on the forward run while thereceptacles are in contact with the material.

Preferably the refrigerating coils 20 are mounted at the upper part ofthe receptacle with a artition 32 therebeneath. This partition a soserves as admin member to prevent any condensation from dripping ontothe apparatus therebeneath. There is preferably provided an aircirculating means which is illustrated somewhat conventionally as ablower 33 for forcing air across the refrigerating coils above thepartition 32 and causing this cooled air to continuously pass over andbetween the several receptacles 26. By reason of the fact that thesereceptacles contain a refrigerating agent they in themselves operate todirectly chill the material, and any ice in them which has melted duringthe heat absorbing run with the material will be rechilled by the coldair during the return run. Therefore the receptacles serve not only asheat conductors, but also as storage reservoirs. They maintain theirextremely low temperature throughout their heat absorbing run due to thenature of the refrigerant contained in the receptacles and the highratio of heat dissipating surface to heat absorbing surface whichaccording to the drawings is ovtr'5 to 1. a

The shafts of the supportin pulleys for the conveyors 21, 22 and the safts for the sprocket wheels are all interconnected by suitable gearing34, as shown particularly in Fig. 3 so that all of the conveyors'areadvance at the same rate. The four conveyors engage the four sides ofthe material and maintain it of the desired -sha e and crosssectionduring the hardening, ut as previously noted they do not directlycontact with the material, but only with the envelope or 'jacket whichis around the latter. It is important that the conveyors operate with aspeed which is directly proportional to the rate of delivery of thepartially frozen material to the receptacle 13. To accomplish thispurpose the conveyors ma be operated from an electric motor 35 whicoperates to drive a shaft 36 which extends into the hardening chamber.The pressure applying and material distributing head 14in the receptacle13 will rise if the material is delivered to the receptacle at, a fasterrate than it is conveyed therefrom through the hardening room and willdescend if the material is delivered to the receptacle 13 at a lowerrate. This vertical movement of the head 14 or of some part connected toor associated therewith is utilized for controlling the speed of theelectric motor.

As illustrated there is a rheostat 37 adjacent to the receptacle 13 anda movable contact bar 38 is connected to the head 14 so as to move alongthe rheostat. As the head 14 rises the rheostat will operate to delivermore current to the electric motor so as to operate the conveyors at amore rapid rate and as the head 14 descends the speed of the motor 35will be reduced. The rheostat is only verty) conventionally illustratedas it will be 0 vious that the member 28 may be connected to theordinary rheostat or to any other suitable mechanism which will operateto vary the sped of drive of the conveyors. Merely as an indication ofsuch range of equivalency there may be a Reeves drive in the connectionbetween the source of power 35 and the shaft 36 and the movement of thehead 14 may operate through suitable mechanism to vary the driving speedrelationship of such a Reeves drive. Various other means maybe employedfor accomplishing the same result.

The wall of the hardening chamber 19 opposite to the opening 18 isprovided with an outlet 39 through which the hardened bar of ice creamis delivered. In some a paratus this bar may be cut into sections byhand and the separate sections conveyed to stor- .5 age or for directtransportation to the retail stores or points of consumption, butpreferably mechanism is provided for subdividing the bar into sectionsof uniform length. Merely as. an example of such a mechanism I haveillustrated a cutting apparatus of the wire type. A conveyor 40 supportsthe bar of material as it is delivered from the hard-, ening room andthis carried a series of guides 41 extending outwardly at right angles15 theretor These project upwardly at opposite sides of the advancingice cream bar to a distance slightly above the upper surface of thelatter and the guides are preferably flared or s read apart at theirfree ends to facilitate t e entry of the cutting wire therebetween.Mounted above the bar is a rotatable member 42 which carries the cuttingelements and forces them downwardly through the ice cream between theseveral series of guides 41 as the latter advances with the material.Merely as an example of such a cutting mechanism I have shown therotatable member 42 as provided with a series of arms 43 pivoted theretoand extending radially therefrom. These separate arms are connected bycoil springs 44 so that they normally retain their radial positions andproper spacing. Each arm at its outer end is preferably forked orprovided with separate tines 45 spaced apart to a distance slightlygreater than the width of the ice cream bar and the guides which travelalongside of the bar. The two tines or forks of each arm are connectedby a transversely extending cutting wire 46 which may pass downwardlythrough the material while guided by the guides 41, and thus sever thematerial into sections. The rotatable member 42 and its arms are soproportioned and s timed that as each pair of guides 41 advances, thecutting wire will enter therebetween, and as the movement continues thewire will be forced downwardly between the guides to the bottom of theice cream bar and then move upwardly and out from between the guides.

As the bar moves at a substantially uniform rate in a straight linewhich is tangential to the direction of movement of the cutting wires,it will be evident that the wires must travel along with the bar at thesame rate as the latter during the cutting action. The cutting wires maytravel at a uniform-rate in a circular path when out of contact with thematerial. The springs 44 permit the slight deceleration and accelerationof the arcuate movement of the cutting wires during the cutting action.The range of movement of the parts is such that 6 the cutting wires passnot only through the bar of ice cream itself but also through the paperwhich encloses it so as to completely sever the wrapped bar intosections. The cutting member as well as the conveyor 40 and guides 41must, of course, var their speed with any variation of the spee of theconveyors in t e hardening room, and therefore they are preferablyconnected to and o erated from the same source of power.

erely as an example I have shown the motor 35 driving the conveyor40'through a shaft 47, and a further shaft 48 transmits the power to therotatable member 42.

It will be notedthat the material after it has been cut into sectionswill stillbe wrapped in paper on four sides and only the two ends willbe exposed where the cutting has been done. Thus the blocks or bricksmay be picked up and handled without directly contacting with thematerial and may be stored, conveyed and sold to the customer in thiscondition. It is, of course, obvious that if desired they may beadditionally wrapped after the cutting so as to protect the exposedends.

Due to the extremely eflicient heat absorbing character of the conveors, the material will be frozen to the desired hardness while travelingthrough a shorter chamber and at a faster rate than is possible withless efiicient freezing means. Obviously the length of the chamber andthe rate of travel of the conveyors are inter-related and may also bevaried in accordance with the degree of hardness desired. The ice creammay be hardened to such as extent as will permit of its direct shipmentand sale or in some cases the hardening need be only such as will insurethe brick retaining its shape while delivered to further hardening orstorage chamber.

It will be noted that in the specific form of apparatus illustrated eachreceptacle 26 has a comparatively narrow heat absorbing surfacejuxtaposed to and in heat absorbin relationshi to the material to betreate and that the receptacles are comparatively thin. Thus the heatwhich is absorbed through the narrow faces is dissipated fromcomparatively wide surfaces to the refrig- 115 erant in the receptaclesand to the air or other fluid refrigerant which is circulated betweenthe receptacles. The heat dissipating surface ofeach receptacle is verymuch greater in area than the heat absorbing sur- 120 face and should beat least twice the area of said heat absorbing surface. As a resultthere is a very rapid and highly eflicient extraction of the heat from te substance being treated. With this relationship of heat 125 absorbingto heat extracting surface the conveyor is effectively cooled by thecirculat-- ing refrigerant even though the other refrigerant, namely,that in the receptacles, be omitted. v

I have r'eferredto the material as ice cream, but as above noted,various other analogous materials might be employed in the same process,as the process may be used 3 in connection with an material which isdelivered in a plastic, uid or semi-liquid form and which is to beardened, partially crystallized or solidified by a change intemperature. while passing through the hardenin chamber. y

the form illustrated the conveyors engage with all four sides of thetubular wrapper, but it will be obvious that if desired the ed s of thewrapper need not be folded over e top of the ice cream bar and' thus theupper conveyor 22 may be omitted. The

four conveyors illustrated cause the ice cream bar to assume arectangular form in cross-section, but it will, of course, be obvicmthat by using a larger or smaller number of conveyorsproperly juxtaposedthe bar might be of other cross-sectional orm.

I have described the rocess as for producing ice cream bric s. By theterm 25 brick I do not wish to' be limited to a brick -of the size nowcommonl lmown as an ice cream brick and which includes a pint or quartof ice cream. The process is especially adaptable for making smallbricks, such as would constitute individual portions for direct servingto the consumer.

In some cases it may be desirable to remove the wrapper from thematerial before the latter is subdivided into sections. The wrapperwould then have served one of its main purposes, namely, to prevent theadhering of the freezing material to the conveyor during. the freezingoperation, and the contacting of the material with any part of theapparatus. The removed wrapper could thereafter be reused or discarded.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. The process of forming a solid body of an edible product, includingenclosing the product in a wrapper, applying refrigerant to the top,bottom and lateral sides of the wrapper to solidify the materialtherein, and

,continuousl advancing the material during such soli cation.

2. The process of forming frozen bodies, including enclosing thematerial to be frozen in a wrapper, bringing a refrigerant containingreceptacle into contact with one side of said wrapper, and advancing thematerial and receptacle in contact to effect solidification of thematerial during its advancing movement.

3. The method of forming a solid body of edible material, includingdelivering the material to a tubular wrapper, bringing a refrigeratingconveyor into engagement with the .wrapper to advance the latter and 65solidify the material therein, and varying the speed of advancement ofthe conveyor in accordance with the rate of delivery of the material tothe wra er.

4. The method of chili ng a food product, including delivering theproduct to a tubular wrapper, continuously advancing the latter endwise,refrigerating. the wrapper to solidify the material therein during suchadvancing movement and varying the speed of advancement o the wrapper inaccordance with the rate of delivery of the material thereto.

5. The method of continuously advancing a material and reducing thetemperature thereof, including supporting the material upon thetop,bottom and lateral sides and pressing down the top side by'heat absorb:mg surfaces, continuously advancin said surfaces to thereby advance thematerial and chilling said surfaces during said advancing movement. p

6. The method of packaging and preserving food, which consists inenclosing the food in a continuous tube, advancing the tube endwise,supporting the sidesurfaces of the tube during such advancement, andfreezing the material during the advancing movement.

7. The process of preparing a food product which is liquid at bodytemperature, which includes enclosing it in a continuous tube, advancingthe tube endwise, and quickly freezing the product in'said tube byconduction from around substantially the entire periphery of the tube.

8. The method. of packaging and preserving food which is liquid at bodytemperature, which consists in depositing the material in plastic formina continuous casing open at front and rear ends, moving said casingendwise through a refrigerating zone in which heat conductive membersare applied to opposite sides of the casing, and solidifying saidmaterial by subjecting said conductive members to a refrigerating mediumwhile shielding the casing therefrom.

9. The method of packaging and preserving food which is liquid at bodytemperature, which includes enclosing the material in plastic form in acontinuous tube open at front and rear ends, passing the tube endwiseinto a refrigerating zone to solidify it, and applying heat conductivemembers to opposite sides ofthe tube to support the latter and hold itin predetermined form.

10. The method of preparing a food product, which consists in coolin thefood in liquid form to partially crysta 'ze it, enclosing the product inplastic formin a wrapper in which it is to be marketed, engaging thebottom surface of the wrapper by a heat conductive member, en aging theside surfaces of the wrapper y a pair of spaced heat conductive members,and subjecting the product in said wrapper to a freezing temperature tofurther crystallize it through the medium of said engaging heatconductive members to solidify said food product. 11. The method ofpreparing a food product which is liquid at body temperature, whichconsists in freezing the same to semiliquid or plastic form, enclosingit in a tube open at opposite ends while ,engagm a p urality 0 surfacesof the tube inclu ing the side surfaces thereof by heat conductivemembers, andsubjecting theproduct in said tube to a freezing temperaturewhile holding the tube in predetermined cross-sectional form by saidconductive members to thereby solidify the product in predeterminedform. '12. The method of preparing a food prod- ,uct, which consists infreezing the same to semi-liquid or plastic form, enclosing it in aplurality of surfaces-of the tube inc uding the side surfaces thereof byheat conductive members, subjecting the product in said tube to afreezing temperature while holding the tube in predeterminedcrosssectional form by said conductive members to thereby solidify theproduct in predetermined form, and continuously advancing the tube andsaid conductive members.

13. The method of preparing a food prodduct, which consists in enclosingthe same in semi-liquid or plastic form in a tube, su porting aglurality of surfaces of the tu including t e side surfaces thereofbyheat conductive members, subjecting the product in said tube to afreezing temperature while holding the tube in predeterminedcrosssectional form by said conductive members to thereby solidify theproduct in predetermined form, and subdividing the tu e and producttransversely into successive sections. j

14. The process of preparing a food product, which includes forcing thematerial under pressure into a casing, freezing said product in saidcasing by conduction applied over a substantial area of said casing, andsubdividing the frozen material into separate bricks to be marketed.

15. The method of preparing a food product which is liquid at bodytemperature, which includes delivering the material in plastic form,confining the delivered material to a stream of predeterminedcross-sectional area, solidifying the stream to substantially solid barform by the extraction of heat from the top, bottom and sides of thestream while advancing the bar endwise during the solidification, andsubdividing said bar transversely into successive sections durin itsadvancin movement.

16. he method 0 preparing a food product which is liquid at bodtemperature, which includes delivering t e material in 5 plastic form,confining the delivered material a tube open at opposite ends while enga'ng to a stream ofpredetermined cross-sectional area, solidifying thestream to substantially solid bar form by the extraction of heat fromthe stream, while continuously advancing the bar endwise during thesolldification, and subdividing said bar transversely into successivesections during its continuous advancin movement.

17. he method of preparing a food product which is liquid at bodytemperature, which includes cooling the liquid to ally solidify it,delivering the materlal in plastic form, confining the deliveredmaterial to a stream of predetermined crosssectional area, hardening thestream to substantially solid bar form by the extraction of heat fromthe stream, and subdividing said bar transversely into successivesections during its advancing movement.

18. The method of preparing a food' product which is liquid at bodytemperature, which includes cooling the liquid to artially solidify it,delivering the material in plastic form, confining the deliveredmaterial to a stream of predetermined crosssectional area, and hardeningthe stream to substantially solid bar form by the extraction of heatfrom the stream while advancing the bar endwise during the hardening.

19. The process for the continuous production of a refrigerated foodproduct, including the steps 0 delivering a continuous strip of wrappingmaterial in substantiall channel form, delivering the food pro uct tosaid channel, folding over theedges of said wrapping material to form atube enclosing the 00d product, advancing the channel during thedelivery of the food product thereto and the foldlng of said edges,supporting the walls of said tube to maintain a predetermined, uniformcross-sectional area, and solidifying the food product by reducing thetemperature thereof while so supporting said side walls.

20. The process for the production of a refrigerated food product,including the partisteps of delivering a continuous strip of thin 4flexible wrapping material in substantially channel form, delivering thefood product to said channel during the advancing movement, laterallysupporting'the sides of said channel to maintain said food product inpredetermined crosssectional form and preventing bulging of the sidewalls of said channel, and solidifying the food product by reducing thetemperature thereof while maintaining such cross-sectional form.

21. The process of formin a refrigerated food product, including de'vering a partially frozen material into a wrapper of substantiallychannel form, and having thin, flexible side walls, continuouslyadvancing the wrapper with the material therein, supporting the sidewalls of said wrapper to prevent lateral bulging thereof durmg theadvancin movement, and solidifying the the same during said vancing thewrapper with the material therein; laterally supporting. the side wallsof the wra per to prevent bulging and to maintain t e material ofpredetermined cross-sectional form, and solidifyin the material in saidwrapper in said pre etermined cross-sectional form during the deliveryand solidification of the material.

23. The method of forming bricks of edible material, liquid at bodytemperature, including partial y freezing a material in li uid form,enclosin the material in an en ess tube of thin, exible material,continuously advancing the tube endwise while supporting the tube tomaintain auniform predetermined cross-section, and solidifying thematerial in said tube by chilling the tube walls around substantiallythe entire periphery of the tube.

24. The method of'forming a solid body of edible material, includingpartially freezing a material in liquid form, enclosing the material ina wrapper having thin, flexible, substantially parallel side walls,supporting said side walls to prevent bulging of the latter and maintainthe edible material of a substantially uniform cross-sectional areaduring the advancement by said Wrapper and material, and solidifyingsaid material while maintaining said cross-sectional form by reducingthe temperature thereof.

25. The method of forming a solid body of edible material, includingenclosing the material in an endless tubular wrapper having thin,flexible, substantially-parallel side walls, bringing conveying meansinto engagement with said side walls to prevent bulging of the latterand maintain the edible material of a substantially uniformcrosssectional area during the advancement by said conveying means,solidifying said material in said cross-sectional form by reducing thetemperature thereof during the advancing movement, and subdividing thewrapper and material into successive separate sections.

26. The process of preparing a food product, which includes partiallycrystallizing the material, delivering the partially crystallizedmaterial to and enclosing it in a wrapper while substantially preventingcontact of the material with'the atmosphere, and further crystallizingsaid product while in. said casing to form a substantially solid body.

27. The process of preparing a solid body of refrigerated ediblematerlal, inclu'ding forcing the material in partially frozen andplastic or semi-liquid condition and under pressure into a casing,advancing the cas-. mg, further freezing the material to formsustainingconsistency during the advancing movement, and maintaining it under atleast a portion -of said pressure during the advancing movementandfreezin ste 28. The process of reparing a soli bo y of refrigeratededibie materlal, including forcing the material in liquid form into atube under pressure, continuously advancing the tube endwise andsolidifying the material in said tube during the advancing movement, andwhile, under at least a portion of the pressure initially applied.

- 29. The process of preparinga frozen food product which includescontinuously forming and advancing a tubular casing, forcing thepartially frozen product through a closed conduit from the apparatus inwhich into sai casing durin ment of the latter, and not to furtherfreezing in said casing durthe advancing move;

'ing the advancing movement.

30. The process of formin a refrigerated food. product, including de'vering a partially frozen material into a wrap or of substantiallychannel form having thin, flexible side walls, advancing the wrapperendwise during the delivery of the material thereto, subjecting thematerial in said wrapper to refrigerating action to further freeze andharden the same, and supporting the side walls of said wrapper toprevent lateral bulging thereof and to maintain a predeterminatedcross-sectional form during the delivery and hardening of the material.

31. The method of preparing a frozen food product, which includescooling the food product in liquid form to partially crystallize it,enclosing the partially crystallized product in a wrapper, in which itis to be marketed, engaging the bottom and side surfaces of the wrapperby heat conductive members serving to support said wrapper and maintaina predetermined cross-sectional form, and subjecting the product in saidwrapper to a freezin temperature to further crystallize and so 'dify itby withdrawing heat through said heat conductive memers.

32. The process of manufacturing ice cream, including partially freezinga liquid, advancing endwise a non-edible, thin, flexible sheet .ofwrapping material in channel form, delivering the partially frozenliquid to said channel and advancing it in a stream of predeterminedcross-sectional form in and with said channel, sustaining the sides andbottom of said wrapping material by heat conductive elements to maintainsaid form, refrigeratin said elements to further freeze the partia yfrozen liquid into a barof form subjecting the prodpartial freezing hasbeen effected, I

sustaining consistency, and subdividing said bar and said wrappingmaterial transversely into-sections.

33. The process of forming blocks or bricks of ice cream, includingdelivering a paper strip endwise, folding said I strip lengthwise tochannel form during the delivery, supporting the sides and bottom ofsaid channel by heat conducting members to maintain apredetermined-cross-sectional form, advancing said members endwise andthereby advancmg sald channel, delivering a partially frozen and aeratedmaterial to said channel" durin its advancing movement, delivering saidmembers and the strip and material supported thereby into a har eningchamber, chilling a gas, forcibly circulating said gas in said chamberto further freeze and harden the ice cream to solid bar form, separatingthestrip and bar from said heat conducting members, and trans- 'verselstrip into successive sections.

subdividing the ice cream bar and 34:. The process of forming arefrigerated food product, including progressively forming and advancinga wrapper of substantially channel form havin thin, flexible side walls,delivering a partia ly frozen material into said Wrapper as the latteris. formed, whereby the material is advanced with the wrapper,subjecting the material in said wrapper to refrigerating action tofurther freeze and harden the same, and supporting the side walls ofsaid wrapper to prevent lateral bulging thereof and to maintain apredetermined cross-sectional form during the delivery and hardening ofthe material.

35. The process of forming bricks or blocks of a comestible, includingconfining the material in a passage .of predetermined cross-section,continuously delivering material to one end of said passage,continuously advancing the material along said passage, progressivelyrefrigerating said material in said passage as it is advanced, and atsuch a rate that the material is of form sustaining consistency at thedelivery end of said passage, delivering the frozen material in bar formfrom the last mentioned end of the passage, and subdividing said bartrans-- versely into successive sections.

36. The method of hardening a comestible by extracting latent heattherefrom including advancin the comestible along a predetermined patabstracting latent heat from a refrigerant within a receptacle, bringingthe receptacle into heat transfer relationship with said comestibleduring said advancing movement, to transfer latent heat from thecomestible to the refrigerant.

. Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,this 8th day of January, 1931.

CLARENCE W. VOGT.

